Officials are using this time as an opportunity to tweak disaster plans, practice emergency drills and brace for potentially devastating storms later in the summer.
Ken Kaye, McClatchy News | June 20, 2014
Hurricane season so far has been business as usual for most of us, with the tropics nice and calm.
But for emergency managers, this slow stage is an opportunity to tweak disaster plans, practice emergency drills and brace for potentially devastating storms later in the summer.
"This is time of season when we're putting final touches on training, exercising and making sure we're ready," said Bill Johnson, Palm Beach County's emergency management director.
Johnson this month has been speaking to condo associations, business organizations and other community groups, urging preparedness since thousands of new residents have no storm experience.
Yet people sometimes tune out because a hurricane hasn't struck the state since Wilma in 2005.
"We have to keep it interesting, so every year we try to come up with a different theme," he said.
This year, that's a "Know Your Zone" campaign, where residents are asked to know where the nearest shelter, grocery story, gas station and building supply stores are located.
Miguel Ascarrunz, Broward County's interim emergency manager, said his agency is finalizing plans to provide shelters, practicing sending out emergency messages and coordinating with various rescue and recovery agencies.
In Miami-Dade County, emergency managers still are trying to alert residents that evacuation zones were expanded last year, tripling the number of people endangered by storm surge to almost 1.8 million.
Yet surveys show thousands of residents won't take evacuation orders seriously, many because they don't want to leave pets behind, said director Curt Sommerhoff.
"After eight and half years of no storms, there probably is some complacency out there," he said.
Although seasonal outlooks call for this hurricane season to be slower than normal, emergency managers still are nervous.
"My gut's always queasy between June and November," Johnson said. "I don't sleep very well during the season."
©2014 the Sun Sentinel (Fort Lauderdale, Fla.)
www.emergencymanagement.com
But for emergency managers, this slow stage is an opportunity to tweak disaster plans, practice emergency drills and brace for potentially devastating storms later in the summer.
"This is time of season when we're putting final touches on training, exercising and making sure we're ready," said Bill Johnson, Palm Beach County's emergency management director.
Johnson this month has been speaking to condo associations, business organizations and other community groups, urging preparedness since thousands of new residents have no storm experience.
Yet people sometimes tune out because a hurricane hasn't struck the state since Wilma in 2005.
"We have to keep it interesting, so every year we try to come up with a different theme," he said.
This year, that's a "Know Your Zone" campaign, where residents are asked to know where the nearest shelter, grocery story, gas station and building supply stores are located.
Miguel Ascarrunz, Broward County's interim emergency manager, said his agency is finalizing plans to provide shelters, practicing sending out emergency messages and coordinating with various rescue and recovery agencies.
In Miami-Dade County, emergency managers still are trying to alert residents that evacuation zones were expanded last year, tripling the number of people endangered by storm surge to almost 1.8 million.
Yet surveys show thousands of residents won't take evacuation orders seriously, many because they don't want to leave pets behind, said director Curt Sommerhoff.
"After eight and half years of no storms, there probably is some complacency out there," he said.
Although seasonal outlooks call for this hurricane season to be slower than normal, emergency managers still are nervous.
"My gut's always queasy between June and November," Johnson said. "I don't sleep very well during the season."
©2014 the Sun Sentinel (Fort Lauderdale, Fla.)
www.emergencymanagement.com
No comments:
Post a Comment